


The Crush

by I_am_Best



Series: Wander Writes [2]
Category: Wander Over Yonder
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 00:37:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11302128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_am_Best/pseuds/I_am_Best
Summary: Hater does not have a crush on Peepers. That'd be stupid.





	The Crush

**Author's Note:**

> A very, very, _very_ belated request for a kind anon on my [storiesbybest](http://storiesbybest.tumblr.com) Tumblr.

"They'll never see it coming," Peepers announced dramatically, slapping the table with his pointer. His eyelids were turned up into a pleased little grin at his devious plan, and there were a few polite chuckles from the other Watchdogs. Hater squinted suspiciously at them, trying to figure out what the joke was. Never.... see. Oh!

He guffawed and slapped the table. "Never _see_ it coming. Oh my grop. Great one, C Peeps. Did you think of that yourself?"

The Watchdogs, including Peepers, stared at Hater as he lost damn mind over a pun that'd grown stale before any of these Watchdogs were even born. When Hater realized that, he coughed, abruptly cutting off his laughter, and sat back with a studious frown, trying not to let his blush glow too bright.

"Okay, dismissed." Peepers waved his men out, the order that they not mention... whatever this new thing was to anyone unspoken but loud in the air. Of course, he knew the entire ship would be abuzz with theories by the time lunch rolled around, but they knew he didn't approve.

Before he could address this issue with Hater, Hater was already at the door. He smacked Peepers on the back like they were friends (which Peepers liked to think they were, but it was inconsistent at best on Hater's end), repeated, "Never see it coming, hahaha," and left.

Peepers leaned out of the door to watch Hater disappear down the hall, only to find a cluster of Watchdogs doing the same. He shrugged when they looked at him. He didn't have any clue what was going on, either.

* * *

Hater beat the palms of his hands against his head as soon as he was safely in his bedroom. The blush that he'd managed to tamp down in the conference room flared up bright and hot, glowing green. He'd acted like such an idiot in front of Peepers. What was wrong with him? He flung himself onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Never  _see_ it coming," he muttered, slapping himself in the face as he relived the entire trainwreck. "What a stupid joke. No duh he didn't come up with that. Peepers is way smarter than that."

Hater let his hand fall away as he returned to staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. Sensing an opening, Captain Tim crawled up next to him to be petted. Why was he being such an idiot (more so than usual) around Peepers? This felt sort of familiar, like when he'd tried to talk to Awesome's groupie. Hater hadn't known what to say then, either. Come to think of it, he'd tried complimenting her, too.

"Hmmmm," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He felt right on the edge of some revelation but -- nope, it was gone. Peepers was just cute and small and stupidly smart, and it made Hater feel funny. So this was basically all Peepers' fault. Stupid Peepers.

The door opened and Hater shot up to yell at Peepers for interrupting his thinking about him. "Get out, Peep-- Wander?"

Wander looked like a space deer caught in Awesome's limo lights. He had a collection of brushes in a bucket.

"Hiya, Hatey!" he chirped, quickly recovering and setting his bucket on Hater's dresser. "Why are you here?"

"Why are _you_ here?"

"I try 'n come around every few days to give Tim a brushin'. Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" Wander asked, because, of course, he was more familiar with Hater's schedule than Hater himself was. The nosey space rug.

"No, uh. We got out early. Anyway! Go away."

Wander gave a pursed-lipped look of worry at Hater's order and instead invited himself onto the bed. Tim, the traitor, climbed into his lap immediately, drooling acid on Wander as he searched for the brush he had come to expect. Wander scritched behind his lips, instead. "What's wrong, Hatey? You don't seem to be yer usual vivacious self today."

"It's nothing. It's stupid. Peepers is stupid."

"I don't think that's true. Mr. Peepers is very smart."

"I know," Hater grumbled, not sure why he was telling Wander this, but he was all about feelings and junk, so maybe he _could_ help. He sprawled back, and Wander, again, _uninvited_ , lay down next to him. Hater turned to look at him. Captain Tim was prodding at his face with his spikey little legs. "If you didn't have Timtim in your arms, I'd kick you out."

"I know," Wander echoed cheerfully, flinching only a little when Tim poked him in the eye. "Soooo, what's botherin' ya?"

"It's Peepers. He's all.... ugh," Hater grasped for the words he'd used in his own head. When they wouldn't come to him, he flailed for anything else to say. "Did you know he tried to conquer a planet without me?"

"Oh no," Wander said flatly, like that information wasn't actually a surprise at all to him.

"And he was really cool, too."

"Oh... no?"

"And Awesome decided to be an idiot and go fight him, and he was all like 'look at this little loser' and Peepers was all like 'I'm not a loser, you are, and here's why' and Awesome was all 'well, uh, I can still punch you,' and I was like 'no, only I get to punch my little loser' and Awesome was all 'woaaaah, cool'. Then I beat him up."

"Uh-huh. Yer lil loser, huh?" Wander asked, a grin splitting his face wide as he skipped over every other part of Hater's reinterpretation of the events.

"Well he is, isn't he?" Hater asked defensively.

"Do you like Mr. Peepers, Hatey? Like like-like?"

Hater was on the verge of denying it when his voice caught in his throat and he sat up abruptly. " _Do_ I like-like Peepers?" he asked. "No, that doesn't make sense. It's _Peepers_."

"Mr. Peepers is a very likable fella. He's smart, 'n' strong, 'n' charismatic, 'n' --" Hater clamped a hand around Wander's mouth, effectively shutting him up.

"Peepers can never know about how much I.... don't like-like him," he said. He only released Wander when he gave a nod.

"But _why not_?" Wander immediately whined, squeezing Captain Tim until the arachnomorph wriggled free. "I bet he'd love that. He likes you a lot, too."

"But does he like-like me?" Before Wander could answer Hater shoved him off the bed. "No, you know what, nevermind. Just forget this whole thing. I don't have a crush on Peepers, okay?"

Wander popped up, completely unphased. "I think you should at least ask him."

Hater threw a pillow at Wander, and it smacked his hat right off. "Get out, Wander! You aren't even supposed to be in here!"

"Well, fine, Mr. Moodypants," Wander huffed. He picked up his hat and rummaged around inside, and Hater flinched when he suddenly pulled something out. Instead of a blaster or, well, Hater didn't get much beyond blaster though that would be wildly out of character for Wander, it was a small box. He handed it to Hater. "If you change your mind, you can give him this."

"What is it?" Hater asked as Wander headed for his door gauntlet. Just walking out like he belonged here.

"I dunno. The hat gives ya what you need, so --" any other words were cut off as the layers of doors slammed shut behind him.

Hater examined the box. It was a glossy black with a red ribbon on it and a tag labeled _From Lord Hater_ in fancier script than Hater had ever had. His fingers itched toward the bow, and Hater was on the verge of tugging it apart before he let his hand fall.

He didn’t have a crush on Peepers. That was just Wander putting stupid ideas in his head. But at the same time...

Wander wouldn't give him anything to sabotage his definitely-not-a-crush. If anything, this was probably a great gift. The perfect gift, and if Hater opened it, he'd never get it to look this nice trying to rewrap it. But he couldn't give it to Peepers now. The mere idea of it gave him palpitations.

Hater set it high up on a shelf in his closet, hidden away from short, angry, prying eyeballs and himself. He hated that Wander was so Wander-y, and that Peepers was so -- admirable. A great commander who told stupid jokes and made delicious breakfasts and cared about Hater just because he was his friend, not because he was his leader, and worked so hard to see their dreams become reality and...

Oh grop. Hater didn’t like-like Peepers. He was starting to think maybe it was a little more serious than that.


End file.
